A knife and a lesson in humility: tenth at the Tor des Géants

4:24:51 pm on Wednesday, 17 September 2025, in Courmayeur. Exactly 78:24:51 after Sunday’s 10 am start, I am back in… Courmayeur. I have completed the Tor des Géants: a beast of 335.6 kilometres and around 24,000 metres of climbing. Tenth place. A respectable international result, but not what I had set out to achieve.

This article first appeared on Trail Running World and is based on my exclusive interview immediately after the finish. Florian Grasel told the story; Egon Theiner listened.

Over the years, I have established myself on the Austrian scene. This year’s victories at Hochkönigman and the Grossglockner Ultra-Trail, shared with Mathias Deutschbauer, stand out. Internationally, I finished ninth at UTMB in 2018, 17th at TDS in 2021, first at Eiger 250 in 2022 with Tom Wagner, second at PTL in 2024 with Tom again, and now tenth at the Tor des Géants — the Tour of Giants.

Like my other ultratrail experiences, the TOR reminded me that mental strength matters as much as physical preparation.

Bringing a knife to a gunfight

The TOR surprised me from the beginning. After the first 50 kilometres, I already felt as though I had brought a knife to a gunfight. I have run a great deal, including the PTL, but that is a different challenge, more about adventure and mountaineering. The TOR is a real running race: plenty of power hiking, but also constant, hard running. I had never experienced a race quite like it.

Tenth is disappointing when your goal is the podium

Tenth looks good on paper, but my goal was the podium, and I missed it. I quickly realised that the TOR has its own rules. I assumed that, as at UTMB, support was allowed only at the Life Bases. In fact, many runners had their crews at every hut and small aid station.

My entire strategy was built around 50-kilometre sections, or eight to twelve hours, between major aid stations. I carried everything and mixed my own flasks while others picked up fresh bottles and left immediately. It threw me off completely.

Experience makes a difference

The first question in a group of runners was often: “How many times have you done this?” Answers ranged from four to ten. Or: “How many times have you run the course in training this year?” The highest answer was twice.

Experience counts enormously here. To compete right at the front, I still have some to gain.

Small mistakes add up

My biggest mistake was trying to change the strategy during the race with my 76-year-old father, who was supporting me and also celebrated his birthday during the event. We tried to replan one aid station at a time. But in the mountains, you cannot simply leave things out, and some decisions almost ended my race.

• On the hot second day, I pushed on because I only had my small Petzl Bindi lights and was afraid of reaching a technical section after dark.
• With a daytime forecast of zero rain, I left out my rain trousers and overtrousers, then found myself in wind and cold at night.
• Without earplugs, I could not get a minute of rest at a noisy intermediate station.

Together, these apparently small details nearly put me out of the race.

Next time, I will bring the right equipment

The TOR is brutal because it demands more than running: logistics, strategy, equipment and mental strength. The front runners planned in 10–12 km sections, even deciding where they could leave their poles behind. That is another level of preparation.

These lessons from the Aosta Valley will also inform my talks on mental strength and adapting strategy under pressure.

In the end, I fought through, found my rhythm again and reached the finish. I met my dragon, and I learned a great deal. Next time, I will come properly equipped.

I leave the Tor des Géants feeling humble, but also satisfied and proud. I only brought a knife, but I did not throw in the towel.

The overall winners

66:08:22 was the new TOR330 record set by the new king of the giants, Victor Richard. Dutch runner Noor van der Veen won the women’s race in 79:34:30.

Lessons for business leaders

The TOR was a demanding lesson in adapting strategy under extreme conditions:

1. Preparation alone is not enough. Even the best strategy needs flexibility.
2. Local knowledge matters. Experience in a specific environment cannot be replaced by general expertise.
3. Small details have big consequences. Earplugs, rain trousers and suitable lighting can collectively decide the outcome.
4. Humility makes growth possible. Every setback can become an investment in future success.

Explore my results for more about how extreme challenges contribute to personal growth.